Conscientiousness is the desire to do something well.
A desire to do something well for yourself and/or for someone else.
In another way, it’s just an awareness of how the things you do affect others.
Discipline. Moral. Dependable. These are similar terms that you’ll often find describing conscientiousness people.
There are many benefits to being a conscientious person. One benefit is living longer. In one 80-year study it was a major predictor of living a long life.
It also seems to be an indicator for better relationships and higher success. One reason for success is that others in business appreciate conscientious people.
Better Measured Performance
One study found that people with this personality trait achieve better measured results. In this case it was better sales. The business world is very interested in measuring results today. Most of the time it’s a good thing. Sometimes you can get in trouble if you measure things the wrong way.
But if you’re looking for measurable results then being conscientious means that you’ll probably perform better in the workplace.
Low Risk
A common myth about entrepreneurs and businesspeople is that they’re risk takers.
In actuality, they’re just better at assessing risk. They take risks that appear big to others, but that actually have little to no risk at all.
For example, entrepreneurs often realize that if they leave their job to start a business that the most they risk is that one job while the payoff could be incredibly large. They can always get another job and probably even go back to their previous job.
Conscientious people are good at assessing risk and that’s an appealing trait because business leaders can trust these folks to not put the company at risk for losing it all.
Paradox
There is a paradox, though, with conscientiousness. It can lead to a life well lived. It can lead to success. It’s appealing to others for obvious reasons.
But there are trappings.
For example, if you’re conscientious you may be at risk for focusing on others more than yourself. You could be more willing to go against practicality for what you think is the right thing to do…helping others.
Know that as a conscientious person that you’re going to be desirable. Bosses will want to work with you. But also be sure to take care of yourself. Watch for when you’re being taken advantage of. Learn the appropriate times to say no.
Final Thought
The big takeaway here is that being conscientious is good for business. If you’re looking for a new job or starting a business and working with employees and customers then it’s a great trait. You want to consider how your actions affect others. You want to be self motivated to good work. You can work on this trait. There are studies that seem to point to some biological and upbringing elements, but there are also studies suggesting that you can improve in this area.